Modernizing Your Vintage Look!

     Ok this one is going to be quick and simple. Some people are preparing for Office Holiday Parties, family get together's, NYE, and just church services; so I wanted to offer a way to take your amazing vintage style and modernizing it. It's to much to look exactly like someone from the 50s or 60s but it's all about taking that statement Vintage piece and modernizing it.

     Here we have this amazing Novelty 1950s Vintage Skirt. It's a felted wool material skirt which means it's great for this season, it has great body an movement with it (as you dance and prance during a praise break), and it has some stretch in it!!! NOW THAT'S A BLESSING... It has a classic vintage car and light post on it but what really captures my attention on it is simply the black lining that circles the bottom of thee entire skirt. Attention to detail is EVERYTHING! With just the car and light post, to me it would have just been a skirt but that detailing in the bottom speaks volumes to me😱. Also that will help you stand out in a crowd when everyone has to wear similar garments of praise. Simple little stitching, embroidery, and detailing, makes the absolute difference. This will make a $5.00 skirt look like a good $200.00 skirt from Neiman's. 

I modernized this skirt to give it this look with a simple white blouse. Tawni Haynes has simply made an empire out of the oversized bow blouse! Kudos to her but being that it's the holiday season I'm going to tell you how to execute a beautiful bow blouse on a budget. Simply  taking a great fitting white blouse, press your way to a material store and find a great heavy wide satin material. All you need is a great long piece for a bow. Put it around your neck and even it out to make sure both ends touch the top of your hips. It might be best to just have a seamstress (or your mother, like I do) sew it on in the back of the collar. Sometimes when the Holy Ghost hits you never know how you will look and end up when it lifts LOL... Or you can just take a safety pin and pin it to the collar, no biggie. Tie it into an amazing bow and you can embellish it in the middle with a great befitting broach. 

I also added a great pair of suede knee high boots that are FLATS!!!! See you don't have to wear heels 365 days out of the year, just 364 days! 😀😀😀. These boots balance the silhouette of this emote look out. If you did a high heel or flat bootie I think you may end up looking heavy on top or just distorted (I hope that's the right word 😐). I also show it with a great metallic Louboutin of course. This shoe gives a clean line to the entire look and helps the colors in the skirt pop more.

I finished modernizing this look with a great suede feminine motorcycle jacket. In HS I had a great Vanson motorcycle style jacket that just added just volume to whatever I was wearing, it was absolutely the topping on the cake so I figured a play on soft and hard would do the same here. A great soft vibrant color skirt with just a feminine blouse and a hard jacket! You can do it with a black jacket but that would be obvious so I went with gray. I certainly do hope this has helped someone pull an amazing modern vintage (such a play on words) look together! 

Inspiration and Imagination

What inspires your imagination to take you to another place.

My imagination is inspired by so many things; whether it's a colorful icy (water ice) from Rita's, or a Tupperware collection in Walmart, or just the simple sound of the wind blowing to then look out your window into your driveway and see an assortment of colorful dried leaves. My surroundings inspire my imagination where I then use it towards my advantage when pulling looks for clients and myself. It's so easy to use God given forces of nature to put an appropriate wardrobe together. 

RAIN:

A great vintage London Fog or statement piece Burberry trench coat, with a great pair of Ralph Lauren patent leather green ankle rainboots, dark denim jeans, denim dress shirt, super oversized scarf, and a luxury statement bag with a clear umbrella. THATS EVERYTHING!

SNOW:

A goooooooood Vintage Fox Fur Collar Double Breasted Coat, an amazing vintage pop of color Sheath Dress, an pair of great single sole heels (Louboutins prefably "So Kate"), a pair of wrist leather gloves, and a great bag. HELLO CHURCH!!

SUNSHINE:

A great 1970s Vintage Maxi Dress with Chiffon Sleeves, a good open toe shoe, and a killer handbag. GONE WITH THE WIND FABULOUS!!!

HEAT:

Stay in the house because it's to hot for all that... LOL.

Inspiration and Imagination; two things that will create such an amazing Wardrobe!

Vintage Sunday's Look...

It's not often that I can wear denim on a Sunday morning in church; I'm so churched I prefer to wear suits everyday of the week anyway. 1st Sunday's are Youth and Young Adult Sunday's at my church so we are mostly causally dressed. Being that I have been a private school pupil almost all my life, my urban wear ends up being preppy wear. I'll do denim pants with a crisp white fitted dress shirt, a skinny or vintage neck tie, tie bar, and a cardigan. Casual Enough For You??? 🙃... This past Sunday I was inspired by the changing of seasons and the color pallet it offers. When the temperature drops to 50 or below, when the wind begins to blow, and when leaves are falling onto the changing green  grass, my fashion senses becomes exited and I can't help but to rummage through my closest and pull looks together! I was inspired by fallen leaves in my drive way to pull this look together. The colors of green, purple, orange, brown, tan, blue, and so much more. I feel like breaking out in a Julie Andrews Song!!!!! 

My entire look from Sunday was simply modernizing a VINTAGE look. A great 1970s burnt orange, double vent, wide lapel suit, where I just took the jacket of the suit and paired it with a great H&M cardigan where I cut the sleeves off (I've gained weight) and turned it into a vest. DONT JUDGE ME... A great VINTAGE Lanvin neck tie that has the greatest colors in it. Blue, brown, tan, and the signature Lanvin emblem. A classic Paul Fredrick white crisp monogrammed dress shirt and a pair of great faux granite cufflinks I make myself (Vintage MIJU Designs). I usually wear denim jeans from Zara or H&M but being that "God has enlarged my territory" (I'm getting fat) I had to run over to Macys and find a great pair of Levi's 😕. All is well though, being that they went great with a pair of my Aston Grey Cap Toe Oxfords, finishing the look with a pocket square fine MIJU Vintage Designs and a fragrance from John Varvatos.

1970s Vintage Burnt Orange Blazer

Levis 513 Jeans 

H&M Cardigan Vest

Lanvin Necktie

Vintage Pocket Square 

Aston Grey Tap Toe Oxfords 

Modernizing Your Vintage Look...

     Sometimes we put to much thought into an outfit. I've been dealing with Vintage (and some retro) clothing for quite some time now. Wearing my grandfathers and fathers tweed, sharkskin, and some plaid 3 pieces suits from the 70s with a great bell bottom pant. Some people try but it's never executed right. So here is a quick way to modernize a vintage piece I have available in my Instagram Boutique/Blog @thee_vintage_guy. Check us out.

I have this amazing 1960s Vinatge Double Breatsed Coat definitely speaks volumes to me. One thing I always say to my clients is that "Imagination is key when wearing vintage clothing". You can not see what it was in the 50s or 60s but what is in now! (I feel a word right from that in my belly). What is it saying now, the shilouette, the color, the texture, the material, the coat, and so much more. If there is no relevance to it, PLEASE LEAVE IT IN THE STORE. 

This Vintage coat in which I am presenting as an amazing vintage dress (because I use my imagination) is not plaid but it's a design artform called Tapestry. I'm learning about different design aesthetics and it is clearly blowing my mind. What is tapestry you may ask; well here is the definition. Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven

on a vertical loom. Tapestry is weft-faced weaving, in which all the warp threads are hidden in the completed work, unlike cloth wea. Please don't ask me what all of this means but once I sit down and actually read with comprehension on tapestry I will write a blog on it. 

     All of these amazing colors a weaved together to create such an amazing piece. The pattern I modern, the cut is modern, the shilouette is modern and flattering, so this makes it relevant and a great piece for today. I love the single color buttons that in this sea of colors, they pop out and stand alone. There is an incredible pleat in the back the gives this vintage dress volume and shape. The length and cut is also very ladylike for any age woman; especially those who have respect for themselves. (That's another blog for another time). 

      I just added a great pair of purple So Kate Christian Louboutin's. Pulling the color from the handbag that I added and tied it in with this amazing vintage dress. I'm not for all the platforms, glitter, stones, spikes, and extraness. I always tell clients, keep it cute and classy, for less is more. Like stated previously, I added a great "Hummingbird" Mary Frances handbag. The multiple color beading and design really takes this one of a kind bag to a different level. I'm definitely all for a Mary Frances handbag! 

It's SUNDAY!!!

  

        OH!!!! It's Sunday and it's time to put your good things ON!!!! I can't wait for Sunday's to get here, not only will I be able to gather with the saints for worship, a word, and a good dance, but I will also be able to put on some mighty good VINTAGE garments of praise. Ladies let me excite you and help you out this morning in case you can't find anything to wear. The Fashion Guy With The Vintage Eye is here to help. Get back satan, you won't bind our praise today. 

First off, I am sick of all this warm weather we've been having. I'm from Brooklyn but I live in Atlanta and yes it's warmer here because it is the south but GOOD LORD, it's a few days from December can we get some wind and a cold front. I'm ready to put on A GOOD DEAD ANIMAL. Anyway here is something that's perfect for this type of weather.

     I'm in love with this black velvet and pink lace 1950s "frock". It has an amazing floral design on it and embellished with pieces of glitter throughout this entire vintage piece. I chose velvet because it's almost winter. Don't get caught up in these warm weather patterns during a cold month. My mother calls that pneumonia weather. Also the lace because it would be very uncomfortable in a full velvet VINTAGE number, sweating amongst the saints like you are having hot flashes and you aren't. So this was a great find and if you're interested in purchasing just email me at thevintageguy87@gmail.com. It's a size 10 but the bust can fit up to a size 14 (the bust alone).

Now you all should know that I am obsessed with Mary Frances, thanks to my good friend Pastor Kevin Gore of Virgina who introduced me to these incredibly designed and masterful masterpieces of a handbag.

   This amazing handbag is called the "Parisian  Handbag". It has pink beaded flowers intermingled with green and black beaded accents. This thing right here excites me and it also allows you to play around with colors. When I'm styling women I always let them know that their handbag is their crayon box. This where your color pallet is. Just don't end up looking like a box of crayons...

  I then pulled out an old, simple, but yet relevant Shellie McDowell felt or velour brim. Something simple, no stones needed but in a hat pin. The architecture is great and sturdy. The satin bow gives it it's feminine charm, and a hat pin will say "It's Church Time". Check out Shellie McDowell on Facebook and her website at www.shelliemcdowell.com. 

Last but certainly not least here is a simple black So Kate Christian Louboutin 120mm gooooooooood shoe!!! My boy hat designer and stylist, Verlon Lofton has me stuck on the "So Kate" style. It's simple and classic but yet speaks volumes. I was going to do a green show with it but decided the dress is the main feature of this entire look and I didn't want to take from that. 

 

It's church time saints, and as Pastor Kevin Bond says, "I got church feet"!!!! I hope everyone has a great sunday and gets whatever they need from the Lord today. 

If I can help someone along this journey then my styling won't be in vain.